"
"Perhaps thou art convinced of that now, when thou knowest me and Lella
M'Barka, and thou hast slept in the tent of my father, and in the houses
of my friends. But I saw in thine eyes at that time a doubt thou didst
not wish to let thyself feel, because through me alone was there a way
to reach thy sister. I wished to bring thee to her, for thy sake, and
for her sake, though I have never looked upon her face and never
shall----"
"Why dost thou say 'never shall'?" the girl broke in upon him suddenly.
The blood mounted to his face. He had made a second mistake, and she was
very quick to catch him up.
"It was but a figure of speech," he corrected himself.
"Thou dost not mean that she's shut up, and no man allowed to see her?"
"I know nothing. Thou wilt find out all for thyself. But thou wert
anxious to go to her, at no matter what cost, and I feared to dishearten
thee, to break thy courage, while I was still a stranger, and could not
justify myself in thine eyes. Now, wilt thou forgive me an evasion,
which was to save thee anxiety, if I say frankly that, travel as we may,
we cannot reach our journey's end for many days yet?"
"I must forgive thee," said Victoria, with a sigh. "Yet I do not like
evasions. They are unworthy."
"I am sorry," Maieddine returned, so humbly that he disarmed her. "It
would be terrible to offend thee."
"There can be no question of offence," she consoled him.
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